Crux (The Aurora Lockette Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

to shut this door. You have two minutes.” He glanced at his watch. “I want to hear you sing the ABC’s the entire time this door is shut. If I don’t hear it, I open the door. You try anything funny, and I will make it so you can never pee again. Understand?”
    I didn’t answer. I stared at him while he grabbed the knob and shut the door. “ABC’s!” he barked right before the door closed.
    I cleared my throat and started a weak rendition of the alphabet. I yanked my pants down and took care of the basic business first. After I finished that, I rolled up my sleeves to examine my damaged arms. It was worse in the light. I flexed my knees before approaching the dirty square mirror over the sink.
    Not good.
    Crusty dried blood caked my hair and face. A huge laceration marked the right side of my face, forehead to cheek. It was swollen and angry looking.
    I turned the sink on and gulped handfuls of water to my mouth.
    The door flew open. “What are you doing?”
    I used the edge of my hand to wipe the excess moisture off my face. “You really jacked up my face, asshole.”
    Something flickered across his face. I couldn’t tell if it was pity, guilt, or something more sinister. “Your time is up.” He took a step towards me.
    “ Wait!” I held up a hand to stop him, pain shooting to my shoulder. “Can I clean some of this crap off my face?”
    “ No.” He was standing in front of the toilet now, extending an arm to me. I saw the same expression on his face again.
    I took a step back. “Please?”
    “ No, I can’t. If they find out, it would be...bad.”
    “ They? Who are they?
    His face slid back into a sullen pout. “Enough.” With that, he grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the bathroom, pulling me into the small, dark room. I tripped and fell, landing half on the mattress, half on the floor. Pain burned throughout my body, but I swallowed back the tears.
    “ Back on the mattress, all the way.”
    I rolled on the mattress, trying not to cry out from the soreness and pain .
    He returned to his seat, turned on the book light clipped to his shirt, and went back to reading his magazine.
    I rearranged the thin blanket around my body and settled into the mattress. Despite the discomfort of the pain and the weirdness of having a captor in the same room with me, my body demanded, and received, sleep.
    * * *
    I woke up in the blackest of darkness. I was confronted with four black walls and a yellow strip of light under the door. After a few minutes, the shapes in the room came to life. The chair was empty.
    I rolled on my side, flexing my legs. Good, they seemed to be working better.
    “And where exactly does he go?” The Boston accented voice floated in from somewhere else in the house. “I didn’t agree to all this.”
    Another voice , cold, smooth, familiar answered, “There, now. In the room, right next door to her. Keep him quiet.”
    “ How am I supposed to keep him quiet? You can’t keep changing things up on me.”
    “ Do what you are asked. You know the consequences.”
    Loud footsteps thudded into the hallway. I lay down, but the door that flew open was not mine. The shared wall vibrated next to the bed as the men entered the room next door.
    I pressed my ear against the wall, straining to hear any noises.
    “Aurora,” the strange voice whispered in the dark. I whipped around to face the door to my room. It was opened, and a tall, lean figure filled it. “You are awake.”
    As he stepped forward into the room, I recognized the human-looking Shyama from the casino. He stepped forward into the room. The light from the hallway illuminated his bland face and black hair. My nerves lit on fire, end to end. I tensed my muscles and shifted forward on the mattress, ready to spring into action. I was alone, in a small room, with a Shyama.
    “ You can relax, my dear Aurora. I’m not here to hurt you.” He took a step forward.
    I scooted away from him on the bed until my back made contact with the